OUR BEST FRIENDS

Tag: coffins

Animal rights activists can continue fighting for their furry friends from beyond the grave — thanks to a new, PETA-sanctioned, all-wood coffin that bears a PETA slogan.

In a partnership with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a New Mexico company is building human coffins that bear painted slogans, such as “Lifetime PETA Member,” ”I saved 500 animals,” or “Told You I Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead in Fur!”

The coffins, which went on sale last week, are priced from $620 to $670, according to an Associated Press report. For each one sold, PETA receives a $75 donation.

They are made by Dienna Genther, 44, a former construction worker from Bellingham, Wash., who operates a company called The Old Pine Box in rural Edgewood, about 30 miles east of Albuquerque.

She began handcrafting Earth-friendly coffins from pine, cedar, maple and other woods in 2004. They are made without screws, nails, hinges or animal-based glues.

When initially contacted, Genther thought PETA wanted to discuss marketing coffins for pets. Her company builds those, too. “But then they sent the designs, the classic toe-pincher style, and I realized they wanted human coffins,” she recalled. “I told them, `We can do it.’” Genther is not a PETA member but says she supports their cause.

Michael McGraw, a PETA spokesman in New York, said he expects a “healthy interest” in the coffins from the organization’s 2 million members. “It’s the best way for people to continue to use their voice for animals in death.”